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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

You have your keys with you everywhere you go, but they're probably completely useless for anything other than opening doors. You can always fill up your keychain with goofy trinkets you find on vacation or you can turn it into a pocket sized toolkit so you always have the tools you need everywhere you go. Here are a few ideas for doing just that.

For the most part, keychain items are novelties. Even when keychain tools are useful, they're often too oversized to fit comfortably in a pocket. Thankfully, a few very small tools exist and many of them are shaped like the keys you already use.

USB Drives

No modern toolbox is complete without a USB drive. While your phone likely serves as a mobile hard drive for most occasions, many of us can still find a use for a keychain that can hold the entire run of Freaks of Geeks in your pocket. It's pretty clear that we're big fans of the LaCie iamakey because it's durable, blends in perfectly with your keychain, and ensures you'll always have a few spare gigabytes to store whatever you need to store. With it you'll always be able tobrowse securely with DemocraKey, have aportable app suite with you, and store a copy of XBMC for media streaming anywhere.

Tools for Repairs

Pocket tools aren't anything new, but finding one that works really well and fits on your keychain is a bit more difficult. TheLeatherman Micra might be your best bet for an all-in-one pocket-sized tool, but if you only need specific tools for your daily life, it's better to find a single, key-sized tool that does what you need. For instance, theSwiss+Tech Utili-Key is great if you find yourself in need of a screwdrivers or a knife throughout the day. The Utili-Key is especially handy if you wear glasses because on top of a standard sized screwdriver the key also includes a micro-sized one perfect for tightening up your loose frames.

For techies, the KeyTool is a better fit because it includes a wire stripper, nail file, and tweezers on top of the screwdrivers. It's also tiny and nearly unnoticeable on a keychain, which means you'll be able to easily wow your friends when you're suddenly able to tighten up and fix something without them even noticing.

If you'd prefer something with a bit more heft, the Gerber Artifact Keychain is eight different tools, but still flat enough not to take up too much space on your keychain. If all else fails don't forget you can always make your own.

Survival Tools

Full size

Perhaps screwing in a loose screw anywhere isn't that appealing to you, but preparing for a disaster situation is. In that case, having a tiny set of survival tools with you at all times is a good idea. Swiss+Tech's Flashlight and knife combo should do the trick for anyone looking for minimalist knife shaped key.

If you're more concerned with lighting a fire, the FireStash is the essential tool for you (and if you prefer the Bear Grylls approach you'll probably prefer the Swedish Firesteel).

For those who can build anything as long as they have string, a small para cord keychainshould do the trick. With this on your keychain you'll always have a cut of the some of the strongest rope known to man with you at all times.

Everything Else

Everyone's toolkit is a little different and if you don't find yourself making a lot of repairs or needing a screwdriver at random points in the day you can still trick out your keychain with useful tools for whatever you do. Writers, for instance, might find the True Utility Telescopic Pen handy to have around.

If a keychain clip that can do nearly everything is more your style, the currently backordered Clip from Little Bonsai should do the trick. On the surface it's just a standard clip, but it can also be used as a pry bar, a cord wrapper, an iPhone stand, a box cutter, and more. The Clip was initially funded by Kickstarter and is out of stock at the moment, but you can sign up for updates and get notified when it's available again.

Everyone needs a different set of tools for their life, but the above are a few that we've found the most practical and helpful additions to a keyring. You can always expand out to something more bulky, but that ends up defeating the purpose of a pocket tool.